Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Note: As always, all reviews and inputs are appreciated.

Scarlett woke up the morning after Ashley's birthday party in a delicious mood. She could not believe the feelings she had felt last night after Rhett carried her up the stairs. At first, she fought him but he had overwhelmed her until she was willingly doing everything he wanted her to do. He had been entirely with her. Stroke for stroke, caress for caress, and thrust for thrust. If it had been that good, she would never have kicked him out of her bed, chance of pregnancy or not. She was not worried that Rhett was not in bed beside her. He had always been an early riser. She stretched and her body ached in the most wonderful way.

She got out of the bed and rang for Prissy to help her get dressed. Her breakfast tray was brought to her room as normal. Scarlett was surprised that Rhett didn't come to her room while she was getting dressed. She wanted to tell him what had happened at the mills yesterday. She wanted them to start over and return to sharing a bedroom. After she finished her toilette she went downstairs and looked for Rhett but nobody had seen him. That was strange. He usually spent his mornings with the children. He probably had business to take care of this morning. He would be back for dinner. She would see him when she got back from Melly's.

When Scarlett got to Melly's fortunately Ashley was not there. She didn't think she could take any more of his hang dog looks. If things hadn't been bad enough him acting guilty last night had made everyone ready to crucify her. Thank God for Melly's steadfast loyalty and Rhett for standing by her side even if he was doing it for Bonnie. He may not care about her but he did love his child immensely. Wait! He had said he loved her last night in the dining room then again in the middle of all that passion. Oh my! She was definitely going to use that to get what she wanted.

Scarlett tried to explain to Melly that it was a big misunderstanding. Yes, Ashley had his arm around her but it was a comforting arm not a passionate embrace. In fact, the entire time she was with Ashley she hadn't felt any of the passion she normally felt for him. She would think about that later. Melly said, "I know darling. Ashley explained it all to me. I have been too tolerant with the ladies where you are concerned. No more."

Scarlett started crying when she thought what a wonderful woman Melly was. She said, "Oh Melly. I don't deserve you as a friend."

Melly said, "Yes. You do. We will start calling on people tomorrow and if they do not receive you, I will cut them dead. Anyone!"

Scarlett felt guilty for all the unkind things she had said about this woman and she cried some more and finally said, "Thank you Melly."

Scarlett stayed another thirty minutes while they made their plans but finally, she returned to the Peachtree mansion. Rhett was not back for dinner. That is when Scarlett began to fear that Rhett had run away. After dinner was over, she went to his room and checked his clothing and nothing was missing. That meant the only place he would have run away to was Belle's. She knew that he had not gone there for sexual purposes but just to get away from her. He was such a coward sometimes. He was going to have to face her sooner or later.

What was she going to do? She needed Rhett to stand by her or her reputation would be so tattered she would never be able to salvage it. She had done a lot of damage to her reputation since the war was over. Running the mills, Frank's death, marrying Rhett, and hanging out with the Scallawags even after Rhett had started snubbing them. Also, Rhett had not helped her reputation in his pursuit of acceptability. Then she knew what she was going to do and it was perfect.

Scarlett wrote a note and called a runner to take the note to Rhett. She told the runner not to give it to anyone but Captain Butler. She didn't trust Belle to give it to him. She then told Pork to move all of Rhett's stuff back into her room. She also told him to move Bonnie's bed into her room also. The first thing to salvaging her reputation was for her and Rhett to start sleeping in the same room together. She would have to forgive Rhett for his indiscretions over the last two years because she needed him back in her bed. Not just to salvage what was left of her reputation but to satisfy her carnally. Not to mention to keep the nightmares away. She now had a way of getting him back in her bed without admitting she needed him or having to swallow her pride and ask him back. The best part of her plan was that Rhett wouldn't have to swallow his pride either by accepting. Rhett would not move back in with her without Bonnie which was fine with Scarlett. She would learn to sleep with a lit lamp. They could always go to another room if they wanted to have relations which she certainly did. She laughed at the perfectness of her plan.

Across town in The Painted Lady Rhett was in his personal room. He had maintained the room to have some place to go after Scarlett had kicked him out of her bedroom. He was just waking up from having passed out from his overindulgence of alcohol. His head hurt so bad but not as much as his conscience. How could he have forced himself on Scarlett at best or raped her at worst? He vaguely remembered him forcing his mouth on her mouth but he also vaguely remembered her calling his name. Rhett Butler was not a stranger to a hangover and he drank his magic cure and soon his head was feeling better. His conscience had so rarely bothered him that he didn't know how to deal with the guilt. The bottom line was he had forced himself on his wife; the fact she enjoyed it did not lessen his culpability. He would get another bottle and start drinking again. Hopefully he would pass out before his thoughts tortured him too badly. Then he heard the knock on the door. Rhett shouted out, "Bring me another bottle of whiskey and go away."

Belle shouted back, "Rhett, there is a runner here with a note from your wife. He won't give it to anyone but you. He says it is important."

Rhett shook his head. Of course, the runner would say it was important he needed Rhett to take the note so he could get paid. Rhett decided he would take the note so he could get rid of the runner. It probably was an explanation of what happened at the mills yesterday. Or her lambasting him for his actions last night. He got up and walked downstairs. He saw a young man whose eyes were as big as saucers. This was probably the first time he had been in a whore house. Rhett looked at the young man and wondered if he had ever been that naïve. The young man was a lad of fifteen with red hair and green eyes. Not the green of his wife's but a nice color of green none the less. He took the note from the runner and gave him a tip. He decided to read the note to see which one it was. The note said: Your child needs you. Please come home quickly.

Rhett's guilt doubled. What had happened to Bonnie? He had to get to her. What was wrong with her? He shouted at the doorman, "Morris, get my horse saddled." He turned and ran back up the stairs and quickly bathed, shaved, and dressed. Morris hadn't move. Captain Butler's horse was still saddled and waiting for him outside. Within thirty minutes Rhett was on his way back to his home. He wondered what had happened to his baby. If she was dead and he didn't get to say 'Goodbye' because he had run away from Scarlett, he would never be able to live with himself.

Rhett walked into the house and it was very quiet. Then he heard Scarlett singing and he followed her voice. Just as he got to the door of the nursery Scarlett walked out and pulled the door closed. Rhett hurried up to her and said, "Where is Bonnie? What is wrong? Why does she need me?"

Scarlett shushed him and took his arm and walked toward the stairs. She said, "Let's go talk in the parlor. I will tell you everything there."

Rhett noticed a lot of activity in the hallway but he was so concerned about Bonnie that he didn't pay it any notice. He just followed Scarlett down the stairs to the parlor. When they got to the parlor Scarlett shut the doors and locked them.

She said, "I never said anything was wrong with Bonnie. I said your child needed you. The child we conceived last night."